A song from my childhood. I love Lynn Anderson’s version of Rose Garden best. It gets stuck in your head and I like to pick apart the lines. My cohort Becky tells me not to get to caught up in the meaning. She’s been in plenty of bands sitting around when someone asks, “What does it mean?” Answer: “Nothing, it rhymes.”

I could promise you things like big diamond rings, but you don’t find roses growing on stalks of clover. So you better think it over.

Still… I studied English as an undergrad in the 90’s … I had my feminist theory class taught by a radical lesbian who outed me in a lecture of 200 students. I have a hard time not looking for subtext: “To whom is she promising the diamond ring? Why stalks of clover?” I could have written pages… you don’t find roses growing on stalks of clover. So you better think it over. Okay it does rhyme. But let’s pause for a moment and look back over the year, and let’s look forward to our future… let’s think about the long view. Entitlement! Slam your hand on the desk and shout out:

“FU Bush era tax cuts. WTF?”

That’s what I thought while embroidering this pillow… feeling paralyzed …inarticulate. Anderson’s slightly upbeat version from 1985 is my preferred version. The 1973 version is a classic and must be appreciated for the front porch if nothing else.